Tiny sacs released by brain tumor cells carry information that may guide...(nd generated its encoded protein support...),Health

To study the potential of glioblastoma exosomes as markers of a tumor's genetic makeup, the researchers analyzed tumor tissue and blood serum from 25 glioblastoma patients and were able both to find tumor exosomes and to identify, in some tissue samples, a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene that characterizes a tumor subtype. In two patients, an EGFR mutation that did not appear in the tumor tissue sample was identified by exosome analysis, reflecting how a surgical biopsy can miss tissue conveying critical information because of the often-chaotic diversity of cells within a tumor.

"It is known that the effects of some anticancer drugs depend on a tumor's genetic mutational profile, so our results have broad implications for personalized medicine," explains Skog, who is an instructor in Neurology at Harvard Medical School. "Detecting mutational profiles through a noninvasive blood test could allow us to monitor how a tumor's genetic makeup changes in response to therapy, which may necessitate changes in treatment strategy." Skog, Breakefield and their colleagues are also investigating the role of exosomes in other solid tumors and how they may help monitor additional tumor-associated mutations.

The current study was supported by grants from the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Stiftelsen Olle Engkvist Byggmastare, the National Cancer Institute, the Brain Tumor Society and the American Brain Tumor Association. The MGH's provisional patent on the work described in this study has been exclusively licensed to Exosome Diagnostics, Inc. Subsequent to the completion of this work, Skog was appointed the company's director of Research, while maintaining his position at MGH.

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